Garvey's Ghost: Black Talk

Why we don't like Rice

You know, rice is brown. That's how it comes out the ground (water)> White rice, what most of us regard as "real" rice, is brown rice that has been processed and stripped. What we have left is a rice that is a shadow of itself. The same thing can be said of Condeleeza Rice. yes we know that she's rice, but she's not the original real deal and she's been whitewashed. Ever since the Black Commentator ran This cartoon featuring Condeleeza and Amiri Baraka poetically referred to Dr. Rice as a skeeza, Folks have been up in arms in the "name calling' that some of us have subjected Dr. Rice to. Now with the recent promotion of Dr. Rice to Secretary of State "conservative" Republicans have been trying to bait black leadership on a new spate of cartoons that accurately depict Dr. Rice as the House Negro she is.

Buchanan manages to find two more House Negroes to defend Dr. Rice:
CALLER: You know, I can't say how back I am taken at the New York Times and the article, the cartoon. I'm waiting for black leadership to stand up and say "Hey, you know what? This is wrong." I'm waiting to hear Jesse Jackson; I'm waiting to hear from the leaders of the Nation of Islam; I'm waiting to hear from Jesse Jackson, Jr.; I'm waiting to hear from Al Sharpton, but I'm waiting to hear from them. But you know what I'm going to hear, Rush? I'm going to hear silence. Do you know why? It's not, "Well, I'm up for the black man." They're more Democratic than they are black. That's the only way I can put it. They are more Democratic than they are black, and I have to say --
RUSH: No, hey, Gino, I must applaud you, sir. (applauding) You are exactly right. You know why? Because every name you mentioned gets a seat at the Democratic Party's power table in exchange for what you just said: Selling out their own people and interests in exchange for that position of power at the Democratic Party.

The Independent Womens' Forum released a press release showing thier dissapointment in the left, and specifically three cartoonists on their depiction of "Condi":


"The depiction of Dr. Condoleezza Rice by Jeff Danziger, Pat Oliphant and Garry Trudeau as an ebonics speaking, big lipped, black mammy who just loves her 'massa' is a disturbing trend in editorial cartoons," said Michelle D. Bernard, senior vice president of the Independent Women's Forum. "These cartoons take the racism of the liberals who profess respect and adoration for black Americans to a new level. It is revolting."

Danziger, Oliphant and Trudeau, whose editorial cartoons are very popular in the United States, also are renowned all over the world.

"The most powerful woman in the United States is young, gifted, and black. Given our nation's history of race-based slavery, the ensuing civil rights movement, and our continual battle against race and sex based discrimination, every citizen in our nation should take pride in Dr. Rice's accomplishments," said Bernard. "She is a representation of America's past and future all at once. One must ask where is the outrage of the nation's civil rights leadership, feminist organizations, and the so-called liberals who only seem to embrace black America in election years?"

Well lets address the probable reason why the "civil rights" organizations don't care for her: First most civil rights organizations are not supportive of the war in Iraq, Condeleeza by virtue of her close relationship with Bush et.al. means that she is on the wrong side of the civil rights agenda. So they are not going to support her. Since Bush also finds himself on the wrong side of the political agenda of Civil rights organizations and Condi is on Bush's side, then she is basically the "massas" handmaiden. Don't get mad when people call a spade a spade.

The second problem here is that these organizations and people think that somehow we don't recognize Dr. Rice as being an achiever. or as being intelligent. We do. We simply do not give our respects to those who misuse and abuse their god given talents to foment war. And there is no apologising for that.

In the end Dr. Rice has earned the ire of blacks who "know the deal." and that white cartoonists can see it too, is just a further condemnation of Dr. Rice. But we know that Condi could care less what these people or organizations think. See ultimately these organizations have very little power and defintely were not in a position to keep her from her current position, or Justice Thom(ass) for that matter. White men ( and women) continue to find blacks who will do what they want them to do, be they hoods in the 'hood or Degreed negroes.

Lastly; for those who think Condi should be judged on her own merits I suggest that at her hearing the following questions be asked:

1) As National Security Advisor, you missed vital signs of the impending terrorist attack on US soil? Why was that and how do we know such an oversight would not happen in this post?

2) Your position as National Security advisor required you to keep the president abreast of relevant and factual information regarding threats to the United States and it's interests. That clearly did not happen. Why not and given that mistake, why should you allowed to be Secretary of State?

The truthfull answers to this question would cast serious doubt on Conde's qualifications to be Secretary of State. It will happen anyway because we have an even more single party state now. But the real reason for this is to prep "Condi" for a possible presidential run against any woman that the Democrats may field. She would be used as a means to break off more of the black vote, which is a long term objective of the republicans who only need to split off some 30% to neuter the Democrats in that voting block.

Anywhoo..always be suspect when white men, especially those with known drug habits..ahem!!.. suddenly take up an interest in the depictions of black women.

Links:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041117/dcw063_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041117/dcw063_1.htm